Lara Adejoro The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has decried the diagnostic capabilities in many states, noting that they are weak. The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday while giving an update on the 2024 cholera situation in the country. He, however, said the Technical Working Group for cholera is working to support states in training their staff.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae — in contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the disease can kill within hours if left untreated. In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.
Idris said, “What we’ve discovered is that diagnostic capabilities in many states, especially in laboratories, are very weak, and that’s why the Technical Working Group has advised that we intensify training of these staff, but these people operate in the states. And don’t forget, a lot of these cases are found in those states, they are states’ responsibilities, and our role is not to support them. “A lot of our partners too are supporting them in training in the various states.
There are many ways of diagnosing cholera. In most cases, they say you can confirm, but in our situation, if you wait to confirm, more people will die. So, .
